The State : Jury Smoking Ban Urged

The state Judicial Council has recommended that jurors be forbidden to smoke in jury deliberation rooms, but proposed letting each county’s judges make the decision for their courts. The council, chaired by Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird, said it was circulating proposed rules to local courts that would require each county’s Superior Court and Municipal Court to establish a policy on smoking in jury deliberation rooms and waiting areas. The “guidelines” suggest a ban on smoking in deliberation rooms; frequent breaks in deliberations to allow smokers to step outside, and, where feasible, a no-smoking section in waiting areas for prospective jurors.